Motor vehicle fuel tank with unitary fuel reservoir
A method of forming a motor vehicle fuel tank i/d having a unitary tank wall comprising a bottom wall and opposed side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The fuel tank comprises a fuel reservoir unitary with the tank wall and two opposed substantially C-shaped ridges extending upwardly into the tank from the plane of the bottom wall. Each ridge is of certain height at a first end unitary with a corresponding one of the side walls and the ridge fairing into the corresponding one of the side walls and extending toward the opposed side wall to a second end. The ridge from a point remote from the second end diminishes in height substantially continuously to approximately the plane of the bottom wall, the ridges cooperating to partially surround a portion of the surface area of the bottom wall, a channel between the second end of the ridge and the other the ridge extending substantially in the plane of the bottom wall to permit fuel to flow to the partially surrounded surface area from the remaining portion of the surface area of the bottom wall. The method comprises: (A) forming a parison of molten thermoplastic material; (B) blow molding the parison while molten within a molding chamber, the molding surface of the molding chamber corresponding to the exterior contour of the fuel tank and providing reservoir wall-forming ridges corresponding to the C-shaped ridges of the fuel reservoir; and (C) removing the fuel tank from the molding chamber after cooling of the thermoplastic material.
- Assignee:
- Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4708170
- OSTI ID:
- 5802322
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Fuel tank for use in a motor vehicle
Related Subjects
330600* -- Advanced Propulsion Systems-- Vehicle Design Factors
CONTAINERS
COOLING
DESIGN
FABRICATION
FUEL SYSTEMS
MATERIALS
MOLDING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLYMERS
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
TANKS
THERMOPLASTICS
VEHICLES
WALLS